NationStates Jolt Archive

Can the government ACTUALLY give you good advice? Can they even put a decent website together? I think not!

In fact, the spoof website actually is a better read than the official website.

Official website
http://www.pfe.gov.uk/index.shtm

Spoof website:
http://www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk/

The part I liked best:

* Reduce fire hazards in your home. Children are the worst fire hazards; consider giving them up for adoption.
* Fit and maintain smoke alarms - at least one on every floor. But if they go off every time you cook bacon, like ours do, just take the batteries out.
* Most fire deaths and injuries occur while people are sleeping. Plan an escape route should a fire break out at night. Here's a hint: throw your children out of the window FIRST, then follow.
* If there is a fire, get out, stay out and call 999. Not necessarily in that order, though.
* Never use the lift. As if you have a lift in your house. Tell you what, though, if you have one of those Stannah Stairlifts? You're screwed.
* If moving or trapped in smoke stay close to the floor where the air is cleaner. While you're there, do some hoovering by putting your mouth to the floor and sucking.
* If a door feels hot, do not open it, as it probably means there is a hot hot disco party on the other side.

We need to return FEMA to its capabilities under the Clinton administration, before george bush cronyism and "small government" wrecked it.


However, everyone ought nevertheless to supplement capable government preparedness with one of these:

SW Emergency Survival Tool Kit (http://www.impactguns.com/store/SS-39972.html)

I remember when we received those booklets, full of useful advice like 'in an emergency, dial 999 for an ambulance' and...actually, the site puts it much better than I can myself:

* Make sure 999 has been called if people are injured or if there is a threat to life
* Not put yourself or others in danger
* Follow the advice of the emergency services
* Try to remain calm and think before acting, and try to reassure others
* Check for injuries - remember to help yourself before attempting to help others

Now it would be wrong to call this useless advice. Pointless, yes, but not useless.

Our govts promotion on 'being ready' admits straight up that if there's a disaster or emergency, you're on your own, and pretty much just tells you to deal with it.

Precautions are all well and good, but you really don't know how you're going to react until you are in a situation.

And while those "advice" programs and websites do seem pointless, you would be surprized how the information sticks with you when you really need it. And having been in several situations, I speak from experience. Granted, I was always there as a first responder, but still.

Our govts promotion on 'being ready' admits straight up that if there's a disaster or emergency, you're on your own, and pretty much just tells you to deal with it.
Yeah, but think of it this way. Emergency services are a limited resource. In the event of an emergency, they will act under triage management principles. Ensuring you are able to deal on your own helps emergency crews deal with the persons most in need of treatment first.

Hehe ...

"If a bomb goes off outside your building, stay inside (away from windows, lifts and outer doors) in case there is a second bomb in the area. Because one bomb just isn't enough nowadays, darling, all the proper terrorists use two."

http://www.sakerhetspolitik.se/
http://www.krisberedskapsmyndigheten.se/

i think that you can be mostly prepaired for a disaster but if you were fully prepaired would it really be a diaster?

bah its British 999 probably ends up with a call centre in India and the ambulances will get pulled over for speeding (but hey your pizza will arrive on time though the assholes will be cheeky and burn it or something)

reminds me of a novelty fire extinguisher I had turns out its actually a giant lighter oh I was pissing myself :rolleyes:

edit: the only way to be prepared for an disaster is too stock up on drink think about all the imaginative ways you can use booze to save the day

Hehe, when we got our (real) booklet I couldn't decide whether it or the spoof website was funnier.

Apparently the government was unhappy with the spoof, so that can only make it a good thing ;)

Well, everyone should have a 72 hour kit. The best ones aren't boughten premade but made from available lists and common sense. I've made one for each of my college kids and myself. About $100 each. About 50 lbs. Even if the big one never comes, it's nice to have a place where one can find those little things that one always forgets to bring on a trip or just forget to buy that you need late at night.

As far as the govenment is concerned......Not long ago the Kansas City Emergency Planners said there was no need of a plan to evacuate the city as they couldn't imagine a case when that might be necessary.........Let us hope nature and others don't have a better imagination than the KC Emergency Planners.